Electric outlet and lead-through device

ABSTRACT

An electric outlet assembly comprising an insulator body having two sets of electric contacts for engaging the prongs of electric plugs and a lead-through assembly having a tubular member which extends through a building structure such as a wall or floor, the insulator body being convertible to one end of the tubular member and the conductors from the contacts extending through the tubular member from one side of the floor or wall to the other, the tubular member being closed by a fire resistant substance about the conductors.

Jan. 23, 1973 2,738,892 3/1956 Wiesmann D 3,137,764 6/1964 1 ELECTRIC OUTLET AND LEAD- THROUGH DEVICE Gunthel, Jr. et al. .......339/2l3 X Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney-Walter J. Jagmin [22] Filed: Nov. 27, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT An electric outlet assembly comprising an insulator Appl. No.: 93,105

52 us. Cl. ...........................339/130 c, 339/218 R body having two Sets of electric contacts for engaging 51 Im. 13/40 the prongs of electric Plugs and a lead-through sembly having a tubular member which extends through a building structure such as a wall or floor,

4 D 5 7 8 3 9 4 24 7 1 2., 4 ,2 45 93 .l 9/ 39 33 m3 h C r a e S i 0 d l e .1 F .1 8 5 the insulator body being convertible to one end of the [56] References Cited tubular member and the conductors from the contacts extending through the tubular member from one side UNITED STATES PATENTS lO/196 l of the floor or wall to the other, the tubular member being closed by a fire resistant substance about the conductors.

3,005,037 Miller,

...l74/48 174/48 X Walker..................................l74/48 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures er PB 50 353 999 111 309 PATENTEDJMI 23 I973 MENTOR Oliver W- Majors ATTORNEY ELECTRIC OUTLET AND LEAD-THROUGH DEVICE This invention relates to electric devices and more particularly to an electric outlet and a lead-through device mountable on a building structure such as a floor or wall.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved electric outlet assembly having at least one set of contacts engageable by the prongs of an electric plug releasably connectible to the outlet and a leadthrough assembly positionable in an aperture or passage extending through a building structure, such as the floor or a wall of a building, through which the conductors from the contacts may extend from the side of the building structure on which the outlet is located to the other for connection to the electric power circuit of the building.

Another object is to provide an electric outlet and leadthrough device which is easily and quickly installable on a building structure, such as a floor or a wall of a building.

Still another object is to provide an electric outlet and lead through device of simple economical structure which has a minimum of components.

An important object of the invention is to provide an electric outlet and lead-through device including a lead-through assembly having a tubular member, such as a pipe, which is positionable in an aperture or passage of a floor or wall and securable to such building structure against longitudinal movement, and an outlet assembly comprising a somewhat resilient body connectible to the tubular member at one side of the building structure and having at least one set of electric contacts embedded therein and engageable by the prongs of an electric plug insertable into laterally outwardly opening recesses of the body.

A further object is to provide an electric outlet and lead-through device wherein the outlet body has a recess at its inner end in which a protruding end portion of the tubular member is receivable and a retainer ring is telescopical over the body for resiliently compressing the tubular body about the tubular member for securing the outlet body to the tubular member.

A still further object is to provide an electric outlet and lead-through device wherein the lead-through assembly includes an annular stop member adjacent one end thereof and engageable with one side of the floor or wall to limit movement of the tubular body in one direction through the floor or wall and a retainer means, such as a nut and washer on the opposite end portion of the tubular member for engaging the opposite side of the wall or floor and for securing the tubular body against displacement relative to the building structure.

Another object is to provide an electric outlet and lead-through device, of the type described, wherein the conductors from the contacts embedded in the outlet body extend through the tubular member and the passage of the tubular member is closed about the conductors by a tire resistance substance such as putty or the like.

The invention may be briefly summarized as an electric outlet and lead-through device including a tubular member positionable in a passage ofa floor or wall with its opposite end portions extending outwardly of the floor or wall and having stops secured thereto for preventing longitudinal movement of the tubular member in the passage. The device also includes an outlet assembly including a body having a recess in which one end portion of the tubular member is telescoped and having electric contact embedded therein which are engageable by the prongs of an electric plug.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the following description of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, and reference to the accompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the electric outlet and lead-through device embodying the invention shown mounted on a floor of a building;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the electric outlet assembly;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the electric outlet and lead-through device;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is perspective view of two pairs of electric contacts which are embodied in the outlet body; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a plug connectible to the electric outlet assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, the electric outlet and lead-through device 10 embodying the invention is shown installed in a vertical passage 11 of a concrete floor 12 of a building. The device 10 includes a leadthrough assembly 14 and an outlet assembly 15.

The lead-through assembly includes a tubular member or pipe 16 which is positionable in the passage 11 and has an upper end portion 17 extending up wardly of an annular stop ring 18 rigidly secured, as by a press fit, on the pipe a predetermined distance below the top annular end surface 19 of the pipe. The stop ring engages the top surface 20 of the floor 12 to limit downward movement of the tubular member through the floor passage 11.

The lower end portion 22 of the pipe 16 is threaded so that the tubular member may be held against upward movement in the passage 11 by a nut 24 threaded thereon and a washer 25 disposed about the pipe 16 and interposed between the nut 24 and the bottom surface 27 of the floor 12.

The outlet assembly 15 includes a somewhat resilient body 30 in which are embedded two electric contact assemblies 31 and 31a. The contact assembly 31 includes a vertical mount bar 32 having a top spring contact 33 and a bottom spring contact 34 rigidly secured thereto as by spot welding or the like. The top spring contact 33 is substantially U-shaped having a pair of substantially parallel side portions 36 and 37 connected at their inner ends by a connector portion 38. The forward portions 39 and 40 of the side portions extend convergently outwardly in one direction and have rounded divergently outwardly curved end portions 41 and 42, respectively. The support bar 32 abuts the outer surface of the side portion 36 and is welded thereto.

The bottom contact 34 similarly has a substantially U-shaped form having parallel side portions 44 and 45 connected by a connector portion 46 and outwardly convergent forward portions 47 and 48 which have divergently outwardly curved end portions 49 and 50, respectively. The side portion 44 of the contact 34 abuts the connector bar 32 and is rigidly secured thereto or by welding. The bottom contact 34 opens in an opposite direction to the direction of opening of the top contact 33. The contact assembly 31a is identical in structure to the contact assembly 31 and, accordingly, its elements have been provided with the same reference numerals, to which the subscript a has been added, as the corresponding elements of the spring contact assembly 31.

The contacts 33 and 33a extend in recesses 51 and 52 of the body 30 which open at the upper flat surface 53 of the body. The contacts 34 and 34a which are disposed in similar recesses 51 and 51a of the body open in the opposite direction to the flat surface 53a of the body 30 which lies in a plane parallel to the plane in which lies the flat surface 53.

The upper uninsulated end 60 of a conductor 61 is secured to the lower end of the mount bar 32 by being inserted through the vertically spaced apertures 62 and 63 thereof. The conductor may then be soldered or welded to the bar to provide a good contact therebetween.

Similarly, the upper uninsulated end portion 64 of an insulated conductor 65 extends through the vertically spaced apertures 62a and 63a of the connector bar 32a of the contact assembly 31a and is similarly electrically connected thereto.

A pair of horizontal parallel third or ground contacts 71 and 72 are disposed in the upper and lower outwardly opening recesses 73 and 74 of the body which open at the sides 53 and 53a, respectively of the body 30 and are embedded therein. The stripped or exposed upper end 75 portion of an insulated ground conductor 76 is secured to the bottom side of the contact 72 which it abuts and to which it is electrically connected as by welding or soldering and to the ground contact 71 by a conductor 77 which may be secured to the strip 72 and the exposed end portion 75 of the conductor 76. The upper end portion of the conductor 77 engages and is electrically connected to the contact strip 71.

The three conductors 60, 65 and 76 as well as the contacts are embedded in the resilient electrically nonconductive body 30 of the outlet assembly during its molding and extend downwardly thereof through a downwardly opening central recess 78 of the body in which is receivable the upper end portion of 17 of pipe 16. The normal internal diameter of the socket or recess 78 is equal to or slightly less than the external diameter of the upper end portion 17 of the tubular member 16 so that the lower end portion of the body 30 will expand resiliently outwardly as it is telescoped over the upper end portion 17 of the tubular body 16 and is then held against displacement therefrom by the friction therebetween.

A retainer band 80 is telescopical over the body 70 and over the cylindrical lower portion 81 thereof immediately above the external annular flange 82 and below the lower ends of the flat surfaces 53 and 53a. The internal diameter of the retainer ring 80 may be equal to or slightly less than the normal external diameter of the lower cylindrical portion 81 of the body 30 so that the cylindrical portion will be somewhat compressed between the upper end portion 17 of the tubular body 16 and the retainer band.

In use, the electric outlet and lead-through device 10 is installed on the floor 12 by moving the lower end portion of the tubular member 16 of the lead-through assembly through the passage or opening 11 of the floor 12 until its downward movement is arrested due to the engagement of the stop ring 18 which is rigidly secured by a press fit to the tubular member 16.

At this time the lower end portion 22 of the tubular member 16 extends below the bottom surface 27 of the floor. The tubular member may then be secured against upward movement relative to the floor by moving the washer 25 upwardly over the lower end portion and then threading the nut 24 thereon. The carpet or rung 90 may then be laid over the top surface 20 of the floor and is provided with apertures 991 at the locations of the apertures 11 so that portions of the rug or carpet will overlie outer portions of the stop ring 18 to the body 30. Thereafter, the electric outlet assembly 15 is mounted on the upwardly projecting end portion 17 of the tubular member by moving the body 30 downwardly thereover to cause the upper end portion of the tubular member 16 to be received in the socket 78 of the body and then moving the retainer ring downwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 to cause the lower end portion 81 of the body 30 to be resiliently compressed between the ring and the upper end portion 17 thus securing to hold the body 30 against displacement from the upper end portion 17.

The conductors 61, 65 and 76 are of course inserted downwardly through the tubular member 16 prior to the mounting of the body 30 on the upper end portion of the tubular member 16. A suitable plastic substance 95, such as two hour fire resistant putty, is inserted in the tubular body 16 to close the internal passage of the tubular member 16 about the conductors which extend therethrough.

If desired, at the time the tubular member 16 is positioned in the floor aperture 11, a suitable plastic sub stance may be used to fill any space between the surfaces of the floor defining the passage 11 and the external surface of the tubular member 16 to seal therebetween and prevent the formation of any air passages therebetween.

The lower ends of the conductors 61, 65 and 76 are connected to the usual three wire electric power circuit of the building, the conductor 76 being connected to the common or ground of such three wire electric supply circuit.

The outlet assembly 15 may have one or two threeprong plugs, such as a plug 100, connected thereto with the parallel rectangular prongs 101 and 102 thereof being received in the recesses 51 and 52 or the recesses 51a and 52a and with its lower prong 103 received in the recess 73 or 74 and engaging either the ground contact strip 71 or the ground contact strip 72.

It will thus be seen that one or two electric appliances or business machines, such as calculators, typewriters and the like, may be connected to an electric supply circuit by means of their plugs at any location of a passage 11 provided in the floor of a floor 12.

It will now be seen that a new and improved electric outlet and lead-through device for building structures such as floors, walls and the like has been illustrated and described which is of simple economical construction and which is quickly and easily installable on a building structure such as a floor or wall.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric outlet and lead-through device mountable on a building structure having a passage extending therethrough, said device including: a leadthrough assembly including an elongate tubular member positionable in a passage of a building structure and of greater length than the passage; a first annular flat external stop member rigidly secured to said tubular member and spaced from one end of said tubular member for engaging one side of a building structure to limit movement of the tubular member in one direction through the passage, said tubular member having one end portion extending outwardly from said stop member, and stop means releasably secured to the other end of said tubular member and extending outwardly thereof for engaging the opposite side of a building structure to limit movement of the tubular member through the passage in a second direction opposite said one direction; and an outlet assembly including an elongate body of a resilient substance having a longitudinal recess in one end in which is telescoped said one end portion of said tubular member, and annular retainer band telescoped on said body in alignment with said one end portion of said tubular member for holding said body against displacement from said one end portion, said body having at least one set of spaced recesses opening in one direction in which prongs of an electric plug are receivable, a first set of electric contacts embedded in said body at said recesses and engageable by the plug prongs, and conductors embedded in said body and connected to said contact and extending from said body through said longitudinal recess and said tubular member for connection to an electric supply circuit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said body has an external end flange engageable by said band for limiting telescopical movement of the band on said body in said one direction.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said one end of said body engages said stop member to limit movement of said body in said one direction on said tubular member.

4. The device of claim 1, and a fire resistant substance in said tubular member about said conductors closing the passage of said tubular member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said body has a second set of recesses opening in a second direction opposite said one direction and a second set of electric contacts engageable by the prongs of an electric plug receivable in said second set of recesses. 

1. An electric outlet and lead-through device mountable on a building structure having a passage extending therethrough, said device including: a lead-through assembly including an elongate tubular member positionable in a passage of a building structure and of greater length than the passage; a first annular flat external stop member rigidly secured to said tubular member and spaced from one end of said tubular member for engaging one side of a building structure to limit movement of the tubular member in one direction through the passage, said tubular member having one end portion extending outwardly from said stop member, and stop means releasably secured to the other end of said tubular member and extending outwardly thereof for engaging the opposite side of a building structure to limit movement of the tubular member through the passage in a second direction opposite said one direction; and an outlet assembly including an elongate body of a resilient substance having a longitudinal recess in one end in which is telescoped said one end portion of said tubular member, and annular retainer band telescoped on said body in alignment with said one end portion of said tubular member for holding said body against displacement from said one end portion, said body having at least one set of spaced recesses opening in one direction in which prongs of an electric plug are receivable, a first set of electric contacts embedded in said body at said recesses and engageable by the plug prOngs, and conductors embedded in said body and connected to said contact and extending from said body through said longitudinal recess and said tubular member for connection to an electric supply circuit.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said body has an external end flange engageable by said band for limiting telescopical movement of the band on said body in said one direction.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said one end of said body engages said stop member to limit movement of said body in said one direction on said tubular member.
 4. The device of claim 1, and a fire resistant substance in said tubular member about said conductors closing the passage of said tubular member.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said body has a second set of recesses opening in a second direction opposite said one direction and a second set of electric contacts engageable by the prongs of an electric plug receivable in said second set of recesses. 